Carmel Institute Events
Experiencing the Cold War at the National Air & Space Museum
On Saturday, December 7, 2024, the Carmel Institute organized a tour of the National Air & Space Museum, which reopened half of its building on the National Mall in November of 2022 after a long reconstruction process. Dr. Fedyashin gave the group a 90-minute in-depth tour of the 鈥淒estination Moon鈥 exhibit.聽
Witnessing history at General George Marshall's Dodona Manor in Leesburg, VA
On Saturday, November 9, 2024, The Carmel Institute organized a trip to George C. Marshall鈥檚 Dodona Manor in Leesburg, Virginia. Tour guide Bill Webster and Professor Fedyashin gave the students a 90-minute tour of the house during which they introduced the students to the career and lifestyle of one of America鈥檚 greatest statesmen.
Students Tour the Kennedy Center and Experience聽Tchaikovsky
The Carmel Institute purchased a bloc of concert tickets for American 青瓜视频 and Consortium students to attend a National Symphony Orchestra concert on the evening of Saturday, November 2, 2024. Alexei Ogrintchouk was the soloist for Alexander Raskatov鈥檚 new Oboe Concerto, Time鈥檚 River, an NSO co-commission described as 鈥渁 hymn to nature in resonance with our time.鈥 Conducted by the NSO鈥檚 Music Director Gianandrea Noseda, the program also included Sergei Prokofiev鈥檚 Summer Night Suite and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky鈥檚 Symphony No. 6, 鈥淧ath茅tique.鈥澛
Ten students arrived at the Kennedy Center early for an optional hour-length tour of the building with Dr. Fedyashin and tour guide Rosanne Russo. They then went to dinner and returned for the concert. In preparation for this evening, the students read Alexandra Orlova鈥檚 article 鈥淭he Last Chapter鈥 (Music & Letters, 1981, Vol. 62, No. 2) and discussed what insights it offers into Tchaikovsky鈥檚 life and art. They also discussed the importance of Tchaikovsky to the American music scene since he inaugurated the Carnegie Center in New York, and his works are performed every Christmas and Fourth of July. While touring the Kennedy Center, the students learned about another Russian musician whose connection to the NSO was more direct鈥攃ellist and conductor Mstislav Rostropovich who headed the orchestra from 1977 to 1994.聽
The concert and tour constituted the audio-visual component of a holistic historical experience that stays with students long after they graduate.聽
American Halloween Tradition with an Eastern European Twist!
The Carmel Institute celebrated Halloween with Eastern European candy and torte. Undergraduate and graduate students of AU鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences came to Dr. Fedyashin鈥檚 office to taste the wonders of confectionary Russia, Poland, Ukraine, and Lithuania. 鈥淢ishka kosolapyi,鈥 鈥淏elochka,鈥 and 鈥淧tich鈥檈 molko鈥 candy represented Russia, as did the 鈥淢edovik,鈥 or Honeycake, torte. Students could also sample a piece of 鈥淜ievskii鈥 torte from the Roshen company. For those with a taste for chocolate covered waffle, a slice of the Polish 鈥淭orcik Wedlowski鈥 offered a perfect snack, as did Polish 鈥淜r贸wka鈥 candies. And to round out the region, Lithuanian vanilla ginger cakes offered the necessary carbohydrates. Many students stopped by for a taste of Eastern Europe and a chat about the region鈥檚 rich culinary history and the department鈥檚 course selection for the spring semester.聽
Exploring Great War Themes at the Wilson House
On Saturday, April 6, 2024, The Carmel Institute organized a trip to the Woodrow Wilson House on S St in Washington鈥檚 Kalorama neighborhood. Tour guide David Steigman and Professor Fedyashin gave the students a 90-minute tour of the house during which they explained how Wilson and Lenin, who never met, became existentially connected due to the maelstrom of the Great War.聽
Student tour views impressive Hillwood Museum Tsarist Russia collection
On Saturday, October 19, 2024, the Carmel Institute organized a student trip to the Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens. The group explored Marjorie Merriweather Post鈥檚 collection of Russian imperial porcelain and jewelry, most of which she acquired while accompanying her third husband Joseph Davies to Moscow between 1937 and 1938 after President Roosevelt appointed him ambassador to the USSR.聽
The American War of Independence and Russia
Really - no kidding! On Saturday, October 5, 2024, The Carmel Institute organized a trip to the George Washington鈥檚 Mount Vernon after the attendees learned聽about the connections between Enlightenment ideals, Catherine the Great, and the American independence struggle, along with its influences on聽Russian and Soviet history.聽Professor Fedyashin gave the students an hour-long tour of the Museum and Education Center showing them objects related to those connections.
Looking for older events? See our Academic Year 2023 to 2024 events.